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Terminalia bellirica
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Family:
COMBRETACEAE
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Citation: Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb., Pl. Corom. t. 198. 1805; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 445. 1878; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 463(328). 1919; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 105. 1982; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 175. 1984; Ansari, Fl. Kasaragod Div. 156. 1985; Ramach. & V.J. Nair, Fl. Cannanore Dist. 178. 1988; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 243. 1990; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 196. 1990; M. Mohanan & Henry, Fl. Thiruvanthapuram 183. 1994; Subram., Fl. Thenmala Div. 130. 1995; Sasidh. et al., Bot. Stud. Med. Pl. Kerala 10,16. 1996; Sasidh. & Sivar., Fl. Pl. Thrissur For. 177. 1996; Sasidh., Fl. Shenduruny WLS 118. 1997; Sivar. & Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 258. 1997; Gangop. & Chakrab., Journ. Econ. Tax. Bot. 21: 338. 1997; Sasidh., Fl. Periyar Tiger Reserve 134. 1998; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 117. 2002; Mohanan & Sivad., Fl. Agasthyamala 249. 2002; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 212. 2005; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 284. 2009; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 351. 2009.
Myrobalanus bellirica Gaertn., Fruct. 2: 90. t. 97. ff. a-d.1791, "bellirica".
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Malayalam Name(s):
Thanni, Thannikka, Tusham
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Tamil name(s):
Bibhitak
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English name(s):
Bedda nut tree, Belliric myrobalan
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Description:
Deciduous trees, to 35 m high, bole often buttressed; bark 10-20 mm thick, surface blackish-grey, smooth, vertically shallowly fissured, exfoliations small, semi-fibrous; branches sympodial; branchlets terete, thinly fulvous-hairy, leaf scars prominent. Leaves simple, opposite or alternate, clustered at the tip of branchlets, 9-35 x 5-16 cm, obovate, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, apex obtusely acuminate, base obliquely cuneate, attenuate or acute, margin entire, both surface pubescent when young, glabrous at maturity, coriaceous, eglandular; petiole 15-80 mm, stout, slightly grooved above, glabrous; lateral nerves 7-10 pairs, pinnate, prominent; intercostae reticulate. Flowers bisexual, greenish-yellow, 5-6 mm across, in axillary spikes; peduncle puberulous; bracteoles 0.5-2 mm long, linear-lanceolate, caduceus. Calyx tube 2-2.5 ×1.3-2 mm, rusty pubescent, constricted above the ovary; lobes 5, cream, triangular, tomentose; disc 5-lobed, villous. Petals absent. Ovary 1.5 mm, inferior, tomentose, 1-celled; ovules 2 or 3, pendulous; style 4 mm, subulate; stigma small. Fruit a drupe 2-2.5 x 1.8 cm, obovoid, obscurely 5-ridged, yellowish-brown, honed, not winged, softly tomentose; seed one, ellipsoid.
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Habit:
Tree
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Flowering & Fruiting:
December-January
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District(s):
All Districts
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
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Distribution:
Indo-Malesia
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Green, Yellow
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
400-800
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Localities:
Peechi, Kattalappara, Koruthode, Arjunankotta, Kothala, Walayar, Padam, Pathenthode, Begur, Karimbam, Taliparamba, Kannoth, Nedumpoyil, Chindaki forest, Karivara slopes, Mukkali forests, Malampuzha, Thavalam area, Boneccord, Pooyamkutty, Kanjirakadavu, P
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